Melancholy Mermaid
by AndThisHappened
Summary: An older Dia and Kanan are married and running a diving shop. But lately Kanan's feeling guilty, tired, and depressed.


Dia was cleaning up the register counter in the diving shop when Kanan walked in with the outdoor display.

"Let's close up for the day." she instructed as she began to close the windows and blinds.

"Alright." Dia opened the register and began counting the money.

"Hey Dia," Kanan called out.

"What is it?"

"After you do that, how about you go home and I'll take care of everything else?"

"Are you sure?" Dia frowned. "You know I don't mind."

"Yeah its fine."

"Alright then. I'll have a bath waiting for you then." Dia shrugged and went back to her counting.

A short while later Dia was about to head out when Kanan stopped her.

"Hey Dia, why don't you get in the bath and I'll join you shortly?" Dia smiled and agreed before leaving.

* * *

Kanan looked around the store where she'd spent so much of her life, and was now running with her wife. When her grandfather passed away she took over the shop, and now spends her days selling diving gear and teaching classes on diving. It was a simple life. And one that Kanan once believed she could happily carry out for the rest of her years.

"Can't let myself get bogged down now." She shook her head and began mopping up the floor.

* * *

Sending Dia home so early meant that Kanan left herself a lot of work and it was actually some time before she returned home. She was surprised to see Dia greet her at the door.

"Welcome home." she smiled at Kanan.

"Thanks. Did you already bathe?"

"No. I did some cleaning and drew the bath, then decided I wanted to wait for you. Now go change out of those clothes." Dia teased her playfully as she walked away towards the bathroom.

Kanan did as she was told and the next time she saw Dia she was sitting in a bath overflowing with bubbles. Kanan wasn't a stranger to Dia's body after so many years, but it seemed to her like they hadn't seen each other like this in weeks, or possibly months.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Kanan lowered herself into the water, leaning back against Dia.

"I'm so tired." Kanan muttered as she closed her eyes. Dia wrapped her arms around her. Her embrace was soothing. Kanan gently grabbed one of Dia's hands and laced her fingers between her's.

Dia pulled Kanan's hand away and kissed it. She admired the firm, calloused hand, so unlike her own dainty hand. She couldn't say her hand was quite so smooth anymore though. She chuckled quietly.

"We've gotten so old Kanan."

Kanan frowned and splashed around. "Speak for yourself Dia. I'm not old. We didn't graduate _that_ long ago."

"It certainly wasn't just yesterday." Dia kissed Kanan's hand again.

"How many years has it been?" Kanan mused. "I guess that's why I'm so tired these days."

"I could always help you out at the shop more." Dia suggested despite knowing Kanan would refuse her offer.

"No. Dia right now your job is the only income we can count on. Business has been declining every year. And it wasn't great when I took over either."

"Then we can cut back on expenses. And I can just get a part time job so I can have more time at the shop. If we run a good advertising campaign-"

"Dia." Kanan's tone was clear. She didn't want to argue about this again. Dia knew it was unrealistic. But she didn't want Kanan beating herself up over this.

"Maybe I should close the shop for good."

"No." This was an argument Dia was not in the mood to have. "You love that shop. You love diving. And I love what you do. And I know how much more that shop means to you than just a business or a hobby." She hugged Kanan. "I don't care how much harder it might make things; I want to keep that shop. And I know you do too."

Kanan kissed Dia's arm. "But it isn't fair to you to work so hard to support us both. And it isn't fair to expect you to sacrifice anything so I can keep the shop. Don't you resent me?" Kanan turned to face Dia.

"How could I resent you? Kanan I knew what I was getting into when I married you." she cupped Kanan's face in her hands and kissed her. Kanan's lips were tinged with salt, from the ocean, and from the tears now falling down her face.

They parted and stared at each other, neither woman moving or making a sound.

"Don't you want more than this?" Kanan finally asked.

"All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't care what shape that life takes as long as we're happy. And I can't be happy if you're unhappy. And I know you won't be happy if you give up the shop."

Kanan looked at her wife and noticed for the first time in what was too long, how beautiful she was. Dia had always been her rock. Even now, Kanan couldn't understand what she'd done to deserve someone staying by her for so long.

"We'll make it work Kanan."

Kanan embraced Dia and kissed her passionately this time, her hands making their way down her body. Kanan had been in a rut for so long now. But she couldn't stay there. They hadn't solved anything. But they never would as long as Kanan kept wallowing along. She owed it to the woman she loved, and who loved her, to try harder in every aspect of their relationship.


End file.
